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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice says Hewlett-Packard has agreed to pay $55 million to settle claims it paid kickbacks to companies so that they would recommend its products to federal agencies.
Hewlett-Packard Co. has already announced earlier this month it will take a charge of 2 cents per share in the third quarter to settle the claims.

DETROIT (AP) — For years, Americans shopping for cars were treated to all sorts of deals and incentives, especially at the end of summer. Think Cash for Clunkers, which paid up to $4,500, or promotions that offered employee discounts to everyone.
Those days are over.
Deals are getting more scarce because automakers, newly lean and profitable, are holding the line on those profit-eating promotions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Analysts say the Obama administration, under congressional pressure to take a tough stance on Chinese trade policies, is expected to declare that China unfairly helped its aluminum industry.
The finding, which could spark higher import duties, was anticipated Tuesday as the White House attempts to strike a delicate balance ahead of November congressional elections that will be dominated by the weak U.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Somali Muslim workers at a meatpacking plant in Grand Island were denied prayer time and faced harassment and even termination for asking to pray, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The lawsuit filed on behalf on more than 80 Somali Muslims says JBS Swift & Co.

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Deere & Co. will sell its wind energy business to a subsidiary of Exelon Corp. for $900 million, the company said Tuesday, potentially signaling an active merger and acquisition period ahead for the power industry.
With energy prices persistently low due to a grinding economic recovery, stakes in the power industry have begun to shift.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant will see its first extended overtime in years leading up to a layoff of up to a year for factory retooling.
Company and union officials told The Courier-Journal that Ford Motor Co.'s production of the 2010 Explorer will employ workers on most Fridays in September and October and two Saturdays in October.

Ultrasound inspection offers a unique position for condition monitoring as both a “stand-alone” inspection technology, and as an effective screening tool that can speed up the inspection process and help inspectors determine effective follow-up actions for mechanical, electrical, and leak applications.

It seems in many instances that the cliché about leading, following, or getting out of the way is custom-fit to describe the environment and attitude of U.S. manufacturing. For Lakeside Foods, and its Manitowoc, WI distribution center in particular, the latter two are simply not in the vocabulary.

IceTech has developed the KG50 Pro Multi-Touch 1”, which allows users to perform maintenance and cleaning with dry ice blasting. The KG50 offers greater cfm capability and maximum efficiency through the entire range of the machine. Dry ice blasting is non-abrasive, and this unit features infinitely variable adjustment of ice and air on the gun.

The compact and powerful Rare Earth lift magnet from Industrial Mangetics contains an internal ON/OFF release device that does not contact or damage the surface of the part. A test load feature allows users to safely determine lifting capability without fear of injury, and the whole system is heat-resistant up to 200°F.

The WD-40 Company is introducing BLUE WORKS, a new line of industrial-strength, specialty maintenance products that deliver performance under tough conditions. The BLUE WORKS line consists of eight products: Contact Cleaner, Degreaser, High-Performance PTFE Lubricant, and White Lithium Grease, plus more.

Mountz Inc. introduces newest version of the TorqueMate® Digital Torque Wrench, a microprocessor-controlled digital torque wrench designed for use in quality control and maintenance. With a large LED screen, the wrench is well-suited for torque calibration, joint testing, auditing, or verification of torque applied.

General Mfg., Inc. has launched its IS300 Intrinsically Safe, Cordless LED work light. The IS300 comes with three 3-watt LEDs and has the capability of operating in beam mode for use as an inspection light. The long-life LEDs are rated at 50,000 hours and produce 5,000K bright, white light.

When a heat exchanger begins to fail or becomes problematic, it may be indicative of various problems ranging from inappropriate mechanical design to unforeseen chemical reactions.
Chemical process industry professionals know all to well that damaged or failed heat exchangers can lead to unexpected downtime and corresponding consequences.

The Portable Mechanics’ Service Sets from Snap-on Industrial (Kenosha, WI) put large and small hand tools, including screw drivers, wrenches, and pliers — along with multimeters and other specialty equipment — at easy reach for professionals looking for maximum protection of their tools.

Capital Safety (Red Wing, MN) has enhanced its Portable Guardrail System, an economic passive fall protection system. The guardrails can be erected in minutes, require no permanent or surface-penetrating attachments, and seal off areas and edges that are unprotected. The entire system is offered in six-foot, eight-foot, and ten-foot sections to fit a site’s specific needs.

Siemens (Atlanta, GA) has announced that an embedded PC is now available for its Simotion P320-3 motion control applications, which provides maintenance-free motion control. The embedded PC is free of wear from moving parts, such as hard disks or fans, and its compact size allows for maximum flexibility for applications that require a compact size.

The ROTALIGN ULTRA LIVE TREND is a short-term continuous monitoring application from LUDECA (Doral, FL) that determines the relative positional changes between coupled machines during run-up or shutdown. The ROTALIGN 5-axis sensor monitors both the vertical and horizontal parallel continuously, allowing the machines to be precisely aligned to reflect normal operating conditions.

When it comes to evaluating a pump’s performance or choosing the proper pump for an application, many people focus solely on flow rate. In reality, a number of fluid-transfer concepts must work in concert in order to have a pump that is dependable while meeting the needs of the application.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans spent last month at the fastest pace in four months, helped by a jump in demand for automobiles.
Consumer spending rose 0.4 percent in July after three lackluster months, the Commerce Department said Monday. Spending fell 0.1 percent in April, rose a tiny 0.1 percent in May and was flat in June.